Exactly the same thing happened as last year—January 2024. Guntur Karam arrived with huge expectations, while Hanuman was released as an underdog. We all saw the results. This year, history repeated itself.
Game Changer came with sky-high expectations, while Sankrantiki Vastunnam had moderate buzz. Starring Venkatesh, it turned out to be a ‘Pongal blockbuster.’
Whenever Sankranthi releases approach, the box office remains dull the prior week. The same happened in early January this year.
Five films, including Dream Catcher and Chetilo Cheyyesi Cheppu Bava, released but couldn’t even survive the first weekend.
The Sankranthi buzz started with Game Changer, a much-hyped Rs500 crore film featuring Ram Charan and directed by Shankar. However, it flopped across all regions, dealing a severe blow to producer Dil Raju. It failed to sustain Ram Charan’s RRR craze, causing massive losses in Telugu states and overseas. Shankar’s direction and Karthik Subbaraj’s outdated story were the main reasons for its failure.
Two days later on January 12, Daaku Maharaaj was released with high expectations. Balayya’s consistent success, a proven director, and a prestigious banner like Sitara created strong hype. However, the film managed only average collections in Telugu states. A stylish presentation and a decent first half helped, but without them, the result could have been worse.
The last Sankranthi release, Sankranthiki Vastunnam, was the real surprise. Just like Hanuman last year, this Venkatesh-Anil Ravipudi film shocked both trade analysts and Tollywood with its collections.
It is on track to gross Rs 300 crores worldwide and will soon enter the $3 million club overseas. Not only was it the sole blockbuster of January, but it also became the biggest hit of Venkatesh’s career.
Following these three big Sankranthi releases, no new movies hit theaters the following week. The next week saw five releases, including Identity, Dear Krishna, and Hathya, but they struggled as audiences kept away.
Finally, January will end with the releases of Madagajaraja, Mahisha, Samharam, Rajarikam, and Romantic Life on the 31st. None of these are major releases that could impact the box office.
In total, 19 films were released in January, with three major Sankranthi films standing out. Out of them one is blockbuster hit, other is average and another was a diaster. Yes, Sankranthiki Vastunnam emerged as the undisputed blockbuster of the month.
